Climate Note ·
Aug 2, 2015

Americans Support Reducing Emissions From Coal

The final rules of the EPA Clean Power Plan are now unveiled. The plan requires states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, one of the nation’s largest sources of carbon pollution.

In recent months, some Republicans in Congress and governors from coal-producing states have attacked the new plan. These attacks might suggest there is widespread public opposition to regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant. However, our research finds the opposite.

In our latest national survey (March, 2015), we found that a large majority of Americans support setting strict emission limits on coal-fired power plants – by more than a two-to-one margin: 70% support; 29% oppose.

Likewise, our models of public opinion in all 50 states (2014) find that a majority of Americans in almost every state support setting strict emission limits on coal-fired power plants.

Please visit our interactive Climate Opinion Maps to explore public support for regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant, requiring utilities to generate at least 20% of their electricity using renewable sources, and other climate change policies and beliefs at the national, state, congressional district, and county levels.